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3.18.2011

The Transformative Power of Hair

morphing courtesy of www.yearbookyourself.com

I seem to think about my hair a lot on Fridays. Weird. Anyway. Fifteen years ago, I stopped perming my hair. I was never one for sitting in a salon and getting the new fresh hairstyle. My hair was always in a bun (in high school!) or ponytail with a really bad bang.

After a year, I decided to cut it all off. It was looking really bad by now with a lot of hair textures. My life was also out of order. Cutting my hair off seemed right. I went to my mom's barber (she wasn't much for salons either) and had the "big chop".

It felt good but I don't think I look that great with short hair AND I lived in an area that didn't cater to my hair texture. Maintenance was becoming a problem. It was impossible to keep my lil fro in nice neat freshly done shape.

When I washed it, I loved the little coily shapes that formed and couldn't resist the urge to constantly play and twist them so I just kept doing it.

Within a few months my hair started to loc.

I changed jobs. I had a new city life. I was newly single.

I've always felt the changes came from my decision to cut.

With my new hair, I met new interesting people and discovered new places - poets and poetry sets; reggae and reggae clubs. (good times, good times)

It was in a reggae club where I found a new love. I fell in love with his country (the country I plan to move to permanently). I fell in love with his culture. I fell in love with his friends. I married again and had a baby. I never saw any of this happening. None of this was even on my radar as a possibility. My life was fine the way it was. Leaving the place I was at before the chop was good enough for me.

I really do believe my life was transformed by simply cutting my hair.

Next Tuesday, I'm cutting my hair. Not a lot but more than I've cut it in the last 14 years.

I wonder if the magic is still there.

Last week I was all "it's just hair" and now I'm thinking of power in hair. The less I sleep the more philosophical I become. Sleep depravity comes with perks!

3 comments

I've never put much thought into my hair. Because of it's texture, every day is a different hair day. I can't predict what it'll be like. So, I just learn to roll with the punches and have learned to pay no mind to it.